Wellington, Kansas
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Wellington is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Sumner County,
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715.


History


19th century

Wellington was
plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...
ted in 1871 and named for the
Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...
. It was designated as the Sumner County seat in 1872, winning out over Sumner City according to the Wellington library. Cattle herders coming up the
Chisholm Trail The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cher ...
helped to build the early town's economy.Wellington KS on Blue Skyways
The first post office in Wellington was established in July 1871. In 1887, the
Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (originally ''Railroad'') was formed in 1885 with Marcus Low, a former attorney for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, as its president. The CRI&P advanced the CK&N about twenty-five million dol ...
built a north–south branch line from Herington through Wellington to
Caldwell Caldwell may refer to: People * Caldwell (surname) * Caldwell (given name) * Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada Places Great Britain * Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet * Caldwell, Eas ...
.Rock Island Rail History
/ref> Creditors foreclosed on it 1891 and the railroad was taken over by
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...
, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKT) was a railroad operating in its namesake states in the 1980s. OKT I The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad was originally created on May 29, 1980, after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa ...
, merged in 1988 with
Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...
, merged in 1997 with
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". On May 27, 1892, an estimated F4 tornado struck Wellington, destroying 100 homes and 30 businesses, and killing 12 people in town.


Geography

Wellington is located at (37.265777, -97.398001), at an elevation of 1227 feet. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Wellington has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, there were 8,172 people, 3,246 households, and 2,105 families living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 3,736 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 91.0% White, 1.7% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3% of the population. There were 3,246 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.


2000 census

As of the
2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...
, there were 8,647 people, 3,422 households, and 2,306 families living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 1,529.6 people per square mile (590.9/km). There were 3,795 housing units at an average density of 671.3 per square mile (259.3/km). The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 92.36% White, 1.71% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.58% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.26% of the population. There were 3,422 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,410, and the median income for a family was $43,493. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $22,254 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,790. About 8.9% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

The surrounding region produced large amounts of winter wheat which was the mainstay of the local economy . Railroads, petroleum, and aircraft parts manufacturing are other important businesses.


Arts and culture


Area events


Aviation Fest
* Kansas Wheat Festival


Area attractions

* Downtown Wellington Historic District * Wellington Carnegie Library * H.F. Smith House
Chisholm Trail Museum



Education

The community is served by Wellington USD 353 public school district.


Media

Wellington is also home to
the Wellington Daily News ''The Wellington Daily News'' is an American daily newspaper published in Wellington, Kansas. It is owned by CherryRoad Media. The paper covers the city of Wellington and Sumner County, Kansas, part of the Wichita metropolitan area. It is one o ...
.


Notable people

*
Ernie Barrett Ernie Drew "Black Jack" Barrett (August 27, 1929 – April 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats. H ...
, Professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics (first round 7th pick in 1951 NBA draft). Also nicknamed "Mr. K-State" for his love of Kansas State and his performance as a player at Kansas State. He has a statue standing outside of Bramlage Coliseum, as well as his jersey retired. Barrett was the point guard for Wellington during their only basketball state championship in 1947. *
Ara Bartlett Ara Bartlett (born Bethany, Pennsylvania, 1825 – died Harper, Kansas, November 17, 1883) was an American lawyer and judge who was the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory. Bartlett moved to Kankakee, Illinois in ...
, lawyer and judge. Second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory. *
Ryleigh Buck Ryleigh Buck (born January 19, 1998) is an American softball and baseball player. She is a member of the United States women's national baseball team which won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. Biography Ryleigh Buck was b ...
, softball player on the
United States women's national baseball team The United States women's national baseball team is a national team that represents the United States of America in international women's baseball competitions. It is controlled by USA Baseball and is a member of the Pan American Baseball Confeder ...
at the 2015 Pan American games in Toronto, Canada they won gold. Buck currently plays softball at Wichita State University. She graduated from Wellington in 2016. *
David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series '' Kung Fu'', playi ...
, American actor and film director lived in Wellington for around a year in the early 1980s while filming his movie, Americana (film) in Drury, Kansas. While in Wellington, Carradine lived with his brother
Robert Carradine Robert Reed Carradine ( ; born March 24, 1954) is an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as ''Bonanza'' and his brother David's TV series, '' Kung Fu''. Carradine's fi ...
and
Dan Haggerty Daniel Francis Haggerty (November 19, 1942 – January 15, 2016) was an American actor who was best known for playing the title role in the film and television series ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams''. Early life Haggerty's birthplace i ...
, also known as Grizzly Adams. Haggerty appeared in the film *
Arthur S. Champeny Arthur Seymour Champeny (August 13, 1893 – April 11, 1979) was a United States Army officer, reaching the rank of Brigadier General. He is the only American to earn the Distinguished Service Cross in three different wars. In addition to his th ...
,
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer *
Mardie Cornejo Nieves Mardie Cornejo (born August 5, 1951) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets. Cornejo played collegiately at University of Tulsa (TU), and is the father of fo ...
, Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets. *
Nate Cornejo Nathan John Cornejo (born September 24, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2004 for the Detroit Tigers. Early life Cornejo was born in Wellington, Kansas. His father ...
, Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers. First round draft pick. *
Mabel Cory Costigan Mabel Cory Costigan (1873–1951) was an American community and church leader and advocate for labor laws for children and foreign-born individuals. Among her many social and political endeavors, she served on the advisory council of the National ...
, child labor law advocate, served on advisory council of the
National Child Labor Committee The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) was a private, non-profit organization in the United States that served as a leading proponent for the national child labor reform movement. Its mission was to promote "the rights, awareness, dignity, well ...
*
Walter Chrysler Walter Percy Chrysler (April 2, 1875 – August 18, 1940) was an American industrial pioneer in the automotive industry, American automotive industry executive and the founder and namesake of American Chrysler Corporation. Early life Chrysler wa ...
, founder of the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler briefly moved to Wellington in 1897 to join the railroad, nearly thirty years before starting the Chrysler Corporation. *
Todd Diacon Todd Diacon is an American college administrator and educator serving as the 13th President of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio (U.S.). He previously served as the provost and senior vice president of Kent State. Education Diacon received hi ...
, president of
Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in As ...
. *
Maurice Elder Maurice "Red" Elder (March 21, 1916 – August 14, 2011) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) from 1946 to 1951. Elder was a fullback at Kansas Stat ...
, 26th pick in the 1937 NFL Draft by the Boston Redskins, football coach at
Colorado State University–Pueblo Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado. It is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System) and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). History 1933 to 1959 The idea for startin ...
from 1946 to 1951. Maternal grandfather of pro football quarterback,
Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-Sta ...
. * Phil Ferguson, politician,
US Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from the state of Oklahoma from 1935 to 1941. *
Neil Frank Neil Laverne Frank (born September 11, 1931) is an American meteorologist and former director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Florida. He was instrumental in advancing both the scientific and informational aspects of hurricane forecasti ...
, meteorologist and former director of the
National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
* Gary Freeman (sculptor), artist and professor emeritus at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. * Betty Glamann, born in Wellington. She was a harpist, who played with the likes of
Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...
and
Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...
. * Loren Hibbs, current Director of Baseball Operations at
Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
former head baseball coach for
Charlotte baseball The Charlotte 49ers are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 49ers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
, in Charlotte, NC. Currently has over 801 career victories from 1993 to 2019. * Francis Heydt, Four time NCAA Champion swimmer and University it Michigan Hall of Honor class of 1988. * B. Everett Jordan, United States Senator from North Carolina. * Henry P. Larrabee, 49er, and rancher. Notorious for his treatment of Native Americans. * Gordon William Lillie, nicknamed
Pawnee Bill Gordon William Lillie (February 14, 1860 – February 3, 1942), known professionally as Pawnee Bill, was an American showman and performer who specialized in Wild West shows and was known for his short partnership with William "Buffalo" Bill Co ...
, a showman who specialized in Wild West shows and is most known for his partnership with Buffalo Bill. He moved to Wellington when he was young from Illinois and was raised here. *
Joseph E. Maddy Joseph Edgar Maddy (October 14, 1892 – April 18, 1966) was a pioneering American music educator and conductor. He was born in Wellington, Kansas where both of his parents were teachers. He attended Wichita College of Music in Wichita, Kansas wh ...
, pioneering music educator and founder of the
Interlochen Arts Camp Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. ...
* Chuck Miller, pop and jazz musician * Minnie Minnich, American politician in the Kansas House of Representatives. * Jack Mitchell, All-American quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, head football coach at Wichita State University, University of Arkansas and the University of Kansas. Publisher of Wellington Daily News * Kate Pelham Newcomb, physician * John Travis Nixon, newspaper publisher in Monroe and
Crowley Crowley may refer to: Places * Crowley, Mendocino County, California, an unincorporated community *Crowley County, Colorado * Crowley, Colorado, a town in Crowley County *Crowley, Louisiana, a city * Crowley, Oregon (disambiguation) * Crowley, Te ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
; formerly resided in Wellington in early 1880s *
David L. Payne David Lewis Payne (December 30, 1836 – November 28, 1884) was an American soldier and pioneer. Payne is considered by some to be the "Father of Oklahoma" for his work in opening the state to settlement. He organized, trained, and led the ...
, American soldier and pioneer * Bill Rhiley, American politician in the Kansas House of Representatives. *
Montie Rissell Montie Ralph Rissell (born November 28, 1958), also known as Monte, is an American serial killer and rapist who raped and murdered five women between 1976 and 1977 in Alexandria, Virginia, where he lived. Early life Rissell lived the first seven ...
, serial killer, born in Wellington. Murdered five people and raped 12 more in Virginia from 1976 to 1977 * Fred Roberts (American football coach), head football coach at the University of Oklahoma. * Karl Spear, head football coach and athletic director at
Baker University Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Ar ...
. * Vince Wetta, American politician, Kansas House of Representatives. Wetta has resided in Wellington since 1966. *
Kent Whealy Kent Whealy (April 27, 1946 – March 23, 2018) was an American activist, journalist and philanthropist who co-founded Seed Savers Exchange and promoted organic agriculture and the saving of Heirloom plant, heirloom seeds. Raised in Wellington, ...
, activist and journalist, co-founder of the
Seed Savers Exchange Seed Savers Exchange, or SSE, is a non-profit organization based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloom plant varieties through regeneration, distribution and seed exchange. It is one of the largest nongovernmental seedbanks in the United Stat ...
. * Ed Willett, Major League Baseball player. *
Logan Wright Logan Wright Jr. (6 December 1933 – 18 December 1999) was an American pediatric psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association (APA). He coined the term ''pediatric psychology'', co-founded the Society of Pediatr ...
, Former president of the
American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
.


References


Further reading


External links


City of Wellington

Wellington - Directory of Public Officials

Wellington city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Sumner County, Kansas Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area 1871 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1871